Detection of rapid climate change in Last Glacial fluvial successions in The Netherlands

Climate change during the Last Glacial is considered as a major forcing factor of fluvial system changes. A continuous succession of fluvial sediments, reflecting adaptations to climate change from the Weichselian Middle Pleniglacial (oxygen isotope stage 3) onwards, occurs in lowland river basins in the Netherlands.A comparison of the Pleniglacial and Late Glacial fluvial record in the Netherlands shows that climatic oscillations of similar magnitude did not produce changes in the fluvial sedimentary system of equal magnitude. The Late Glacial fluvial system proves to be highly sensitive to climate change. By contrast, many of the rapid climate changes that have occurred during oxygen isotope stage 3, according to the Greenland ice core record, are not detectable in the fluvial sediments. This can be explained by differences in the impact of the climate variations on drainage basin vegetation. During the Late Glacial, the tree line repeatedly shifted through the Netherlands, whereas the area remained within the tundra zone during the Middle Pleniglacial. Precipitation variations and permafrost aggradation and degradation have played a secondary role.The Weichselian fluvial succession in the Netherlands demonstrates that detection of a change in the fluvial sedimentary system and relating this change to climate change is subject to methodological limitations. The climatic significance of changes in the fluvial record should be carefully evaluated, as well as their chronology. The possibility that climate did not influence the fluvial system should always be considered as a null hypothesis in studies on fluvial successions.     

Palaeolimnology of Lake Zeribar, Iran, and its climatic implications

Lake Zeribar sediments covering the time period of the last 25,000 years were examined for the contents of seeds, fruits, Characeae, diatoms, and molluscs. Reconstructions of the variations in the lake water level, salinity, and trophy suggest a sequence of climatic changes. Three pronounced stages of low and varying lake-water level occurred ca. 17,700–15,400, 12,600–12,000, and 10,000–6000 cal yr BP. Some water-level changes were correlated with variations in salinity. The most pronounced increase of salinity occurred 17,700–15,700 and 12,600–12,000 cal yr BP, and less distinct ones occurred about 6400–5900 and 2500 cal yr BP. Diatom assemblages indicated a strong increase of lake trophy ca. 20,200 cal yr BP. Between 6000 and 5000 cal yr BP diatoms characteristic of eutrophy increased in core 63J, and at about 3200 cal yr BP a distinct increase in mesotrophic forms occurred in core 70B. The changes in the occurrence of various organisms indicate increased temperatures about 21,000 cal yr BP, between 15,400 and 12,600, about 12,000, and about 11,700 cal yr BP. The reduced occurrence or disappearance of some of them suggest temperature decreases about 17,700–15,400 and 12,600–12,000 cal yr BP.     

Soil-forming rates and processes on Quaternary moraines near Lago Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thirty-four pedons on four moraine groups spanning the last 1 myr are used to investigate mechanisms and rates of soil development in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. All soils are coarse-loamy, mesic, Typic Haplocalcids or Calcic Haploxerolls occurring under short grass-shrub steppe, in a semi-arid climate. The dominant soil-forming processes are the accumulation of organic matter, carbonate, and clay-sized particles. Organic carbon accumulates rapidly in these soils, but significantly higher amounts in the oldest two moraine groups are likely the result of slight differences in soil-forming environment or grazing practices. Accumulation rates of carbonate and clay decrease with age, suggesting either decreased influx in the earliest part of the record or attainment of equilibrium between influx and loss. There are no changes in soil redness, and preservation of weatherable minerals in the oldest soils indicates there is little chemical weathering in this environment. Measured dust input explains the accumulation of both clay and carbonate. We present a carbonate cycling model that describes potential sources and calcium mobility in this environment. Calibration of rates of soil formation creates a powerful correlation tool for comparing other glacial deposits in Argentina to the well-dated moraines at Lago Buenos Aires.     

南昌市厚田沙地风沙沉积记录的末次冰期气候变化特征

位于南昌市南部的新建县广泛分布着由沙丘砂-古土壤叠覆堆积组成的沉积序列。在野外调查的基础上,选择位于新建县南部的厚田剖面进行工作,其沉积序列由3层沙丘砂和3层砂质古土壤组成,顶部与底部的光释光（OSL）年代分别为14.9 ka BP和77 ka BP,为末次冰期的产物。结果表明：（1）厚田剖面的末次冰期地层可划分为HTS4（77~57.1 ka BP）、 HTS3c（57.1~49.7 ka BP）、HTS3b（49.7~36.8 ka BP）、HTS3a（36.8~26.5 ka BP）、HTS2（26.5~14.9 ka BP）5个阶段。（2）以粒级-标准偏差法与主成分因子分析法提取敏感粒度,12.619~20 μm含量与平均粒径和黏粒含量正相关,400~563.667 μm含量与平均粒径和黏粒含量负相关,反映冬季风强度的敏感粒径为400~563.667 μm,反映夏季风强度的敏感粒径为12.619~20 μm。（3）平均粒径、黏粒含量、敏感粒度在剖面上呈现明显的峰谷交替变化,暖阶段基本同步于葫芦洞石笋记录的夏季风强盛期和65°N 7月的天文辐射总量的高峰,揭示出HTS3c、HTS3a、HTS2早期为温暖期,砂质古土壤发育;冷阶段对应于葫芦洞石笋记录的夏季风减弱期和65°N 7月的天文辐射总量的低值,揭示出HTS4、HTS3b、HTS2晚期为寒冷期,沙丘砂发育。厚田剖面末次冰期的气候变化存在万年尺度的气候波动,是太阳辐射总量和东亚季风共同影响下的结果。     

The sediment properties of glacial diamicts from the Jutulsessen area of Gjelsvikfjella,East Antarctica: A reflection of source materials and regional climate

The glacial diamicts deposited in the Jutulsessen area of Gjelsvikfjella, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica show the effects of localized meltwater channels and wind processes, as well as of the dominant glacial processes. These glacial sediments are characterized by poor sorting and a variable mean particle size, and the localized meltwater channels have removed silt- and clay-sized sediments, resulting in the relative enrichment of coarser sediments. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of clay minerals in samples collected across the study area show very similar characteristics. Biotite is the dominant mica mineral in the clay together with chlorite and K-feldspar. The presence of illite, and small amounts of smectite, demonstrates the limited extent of chemical weathering due to the cold and arid conditions. The samples from the glacial fan area contain mixed-layer clays, suggesting the effects of localized meltwater and limited chemical activity which has altered the crystal structure of biotite at lower topographic level. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of surface microtextures from representative quartz grains suggest the dominance of glacial and glaciofluvial processes. The low rates of biogenic activity in this area are indicated by the low total organic carbon (TOC) content of the sediments.     

Remote sensing of alpine lake water environment changes on the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings: A review

Alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are key indicators of climate change and climate variability. The increasing availability of remote sensing techniques with appropriate spatiotemporal resolutions, broad coverage and low costs allows for effective monitoring lake changes on the TP and surroundings and understanding climate change impacts, particularly in remote and inaccessible areas where there are lack of in situ observations. This paper firstly introduces characteristics of Tibetan lakes, and outlines available satellite observation platforms and different remote sensing water-body extraction algorithms. Then, this paper reviews advances in applying remote sensing methods for various lake environment monitoring, including lake surface extent and water level, glacial lake and potential outburst floods, lake ice phenology, geological or geomorphologic evidences of lake basins, with a focus on the trends and magnitudes of lake area and water-level change and their spatially and temporally heterogeneous patterns. Finally we discuss current uncertainties or accuracy of detecting lake area and water-level changes from multi-source satellite data and on-going challenges in mapping characteristics of glacial lakes using remote sensing. Based on previous studies on the relationship between lake variation and climate change, it is inferred that the climate-driven mechanisms of lake variations on the TP still remain unclear and require further research.     

The Late Pleistocene Afton Lodge Clay Formation,Ayrshire, Scotland: evidence for Early to Middle Devensian climatic changes and Late Devensian onshore ice flow and rafting from the Firth of Clyde

An investigation into the late Pleistocene sediments exposed at Afton Lodge has helped to clarify the glacial history of western central Scotland. The sequence includes several allochthonous bodies of ‘shelly clay’ (Afton Lodge Clay Formation) associated with Late Devensian (Weichselian) age diamict. The shelly clay contains abundant marine macro- and microfauna, as well as palynomorphs consistent with its deposition within a shallow marine to estuarine environment. Faunal changes within the main body of marine clay record at least one, millennial-scale cycle of Arctic-Boreal, to Boreal, and back to Arctic-Boreal climatic conditions. A radiocarbon date of over 41 ka ¹⁴C BP obtained from the foraminifera indicates that the marine clays are older than the surrounding till. Afton Lodge is thus one of a suite of ‘high-level’ shelly clay occurrences around the Scottish coasts that are now considered to be glacially transported. Together with closely associated ‘shelly tills’, the rafts were emplaced during an early phase of the last glaciation by ice flowing from the western Grampian Highlands of Scotland through the topographically-confined Firth of Clyde basin. The blocks of marine sediment were detached subglacially, unfrozen, and carried at least 10 km by ice that splayed out onshore against reversed slopes favouring raft emplacement and the creation of closely associated ribbed moraine. Transport of the rafts was facilitated by water-lubricated décollement surfaces and their accretion was accompanied by dewatering. The shelly tills were formed mainly by the attenuation and crushing of rafts of shelly clay during their transport within the subglacial deforming bed.     

Exposed Sunda Shelf During the Glacial Times: An Important Component of the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir?

The glacial-interglacial carbon cycle is a complex scientific issue of the earth system. Although many progresses have been made, it is still far from being solved. Among others, an important limiting factor is the great uncertainty in the carbon stock in the terrestrial carbon reservoir. The present Sunda Islands are one of the three tropical forest areas with most abundant terrestrial carbon biomass and contribute greatly to the global terrestrial carbon reservoir. During the glacial low stands, the adjacent Sunda Shelf was exposed and led to a doubled land area. The scenario of terrestrial vegetation, which is not well understood, on the exposed land is probably a key factor to the global carbon cycle. Thus, a comprehensive paleoclimate and paleoecology study for the area is appealed, which may provide key data to quantitative analysis and modelling of the global glacial-interglacial carbon cycles.     

南海南部末次冰期以来的古环境变化:YSJD-86GC柱样的证据

采自南海南部的YSJD-86GC柱样(113°02.5860′E,10°18.1740′N,水深2 651m,柱长1.68m)提供了该区近27ka以来的古海洋学记录。沉积物岩性特征、浮游有孔虫分布特征、全岩样品AMS14C测年、氧稳定同位素等分析结果表明,南海南部末次冰期以来一直处于稳定的陆坡—半深海沉积环境;氧同位素Ⅱ期以来表层海水古温度逐渐增高;温跃层在氧同位素Ⅱ期相对较浅,之后逐渐变深,全新世中期以来又再次变浅。11—9.5ka BP期间有一次古气候回返事件,与"新仙女木"事件相对应;6—5ka BP期间古气候波动较大,是全新世中期气候波动剧烈阶段的记录。     

我国对末次冰期冰盛期东亚区域气候模拟的研究

末次冰期冰盛期（或称为末次盛冰期）,为第四纪更新世最后一个冰期的鼎盛时期,该时期的气候与当代气候迥然不同。近年来,中国科研工作者已就末次冰期冰盛期东亚区域气候开展了一些数值模拟工作。结果表明：该时期中国大陆地表气温降低,中东部地区降水显著减少,东亚冬季风增强、夏季风显著减弱。在国际古气候模拟比较计划（PMIP）标准试验的基础上,进一步指出东亚植被的反馈作用、青藏高原可能冰川的反馈作用、以及西太平洋表面温度的作用能够引起额外的气候效应,可在一定程度上改进PMIP标准试验的模拟效果。